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(Almost) Nancy's Chopped Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

It's the second Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another edition of the Blogger C.L.U.E. Society! Our theme this month is PICNIC FOOD, and my assignment was Authentic Suburban Gourmet. Authentic Suburban Gourmet is the creative expression of Lisa, a successful executive by day, who uses creativity and thoughts (authentic) and readily available ingredients (suburban) with an elegant and sophisticated touch (gourmet) for cooking, creating, and entertaining. To learn more about this born and bred Bay Area foodie, check out her about page.

It wasn't hard finding inspiration for a picnic at Lisa's place. I could see myself spreading out on a blanket under a shady tree to unpack a basket filled with everything from Oven Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts to French Cheese Straws (alongside some fruit and other nibbles) to a Grilled Egg and Olive Sandwich. Oh, and of course a good bottle of wine to accompany everything, and these perfect little Apricot, Blueberry and Cardamom Hand Pies to finish things off.
Ultimately, I decided on a salad. A beautiful chopped salad that Lisa adapted from The Mozza Cookbook. I mean, what's better than a good salad on a picnic? This one is packed with slivers of salami, provolone, and red onions...bright cherry tomatoes...tangy banana peppers...as well as chickpeas and lettuce. It was supposed to have radicchio in it, but oddly enough, I couldn't find any. I don't think that's ever happened before. But, I will definitely be making it often and including radicchio in the mix (so pretty, so tasty).

I love that Lisa makes her vinaigrette the same way that I do—by putting all of the ingredients in a jar and shaking them (aka, the easy way).

For a picnic, I recommend making the vinaigrette the day before and stashing the jar in the fridge. Day of, just line the salad ingredients up next to each other in a large, packable container with a lid. Slide the container into the picnic basket, with the jar of vinaigrette alongside it. When you're ready to eat, simply open the container, drizzle the vinaigrette over the ingredients, then put the lid back on and shake to combine (or just toss everything together with a couple of forks).

(Almost) Nancy's Chopped Salad w/ Oregano Vinaigrette

This chopped salad recipe features ingredients like salami, provolone, and chickpeas, plus a bold oregano vinaigrette.

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved and seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper

1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (~1 1⁄2 cups)

4 ounces provolone cheese, cut into 1⁄4-inch strips

4 ounces salami, cut into 1⁄4-inch strips

1/4 cup sliced banana peppers

1/2 cup oregano vinaigrette, or to taste

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

making the the oregano vinaigrette:

Combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until well-combined. Let sit for 5 minutes to marinate the oregano. Shake again before using. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before using.

making the salad:

Arrange all of the ingredients (except vinaigrette) in parallel rows in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss everything together just before serving; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

The blogger C.L.U.E (Cook, Learn, Undertake, Eat) Society meets every month in a game of mystery, intrigue, and fun! We are given a theme and secretly assigned another member's blog; our mission is to hunt through our assigned blog to find a recipe that fits the theme through our eyes. We then head into the kitchen and recreate the recipe and post together on reveal day!

I'm a lifelong mystery-lover, my favorite board game is CLUE, and I'm a believer than there's no better way to get to know somebody than through food—is there any doubt that I enjoy this event!?

Today is reveal day, and this month's theme is: PICNIC FOOD. Join me in reading about the food hunted down this month in the #bloggerCLUE member's kitchens!

Michiana-based food writer with a fondness for garlic, freshly baked bread, stinky cheese, dark beer, and Mexican food—who believes that immersing herself in different cultures one bite at a time is the best path to enlightenment.

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